Melting and setting chocolate was the order of the day today as we set about making a chocolate house from a kit Abigail was given for Christmas! Lots of messy sweet fun! Yum!
When Genetics Catches Up With the Group
7 years ago
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Making a chocolate house
Melting and setting chocolate was the order of the day today as we set about making a chocolate house from a kit Abigail was given for Christmas! Lots of messy sweet fun! Yum!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Dance class Open House...
Abigail goes to dance classes at our community league and loves it - she took tap before Christmas and will now do Jazz. They will do their recital in May. They danced to songs from the musical 'Grease'!
Bowling...
We went bowling during the Christmas break and plan to make it a monthly family event! Abby had great fun bowling!
Day One.
Lloyd went back to work after Christmas today so last week didn't really count as our routine was messed although we did do a few things:
Abigail did some work in her 'Language Power' book.
She wrote a story about a character named Emma who wanted a horse.
We went swimming for two hours on Tuesday and to the indoor playground while Sam was at Pre-K.
We went to the Royal Alberta Museum on Wednesday.
Abigail wrote thank you letters t her Grandparents and received a reply from Grandma Thorpe.
Lloyd came back from England and brought back food and English money for Abigail to try/ look at.
Anyway, today we started our new routine. Abigail finished some worksheets left over from her classwork in school. I figured she may as well finish them. They were to do with long vowel sounds. Writing sentences using long 'o' words and then thinking of 4 words for each long vowel. She did very well.
She then started her daily journal and had to write five sentences about her week. She had to use full stops and capital letters and use her word wall folder to check her spellings.
She did really well! She also supervised Sams 'schoolwork' which was cutting from his new book 'I can cut' - a HUGE book of pages of dotted lines just for cutting - he LOVES to cut :) so she was telling him what to do! She kept an eye on him while I got my chores done and they finished there school work at the table. Then I checked what they were doing in between my jobs.
After their 'work' they did a craft at the table before playing, having lunch and watching a movie.
Tomorrow we have running on the track and swimming again if the roads are ok - it's been snowing all day today so I guess we will wait and see! Abigail also has dance class tomorrow night. Wednesday we have friends coming over for the afternoon and if the weather is good enough we plan to go sledding with them :) Thursday we have swimming again! Friday we may head to the library!! And each morning will be Language power, written work and I need to find her math program so she can work on that! Maybe dig out MathUSee again! See if she likes that!
I finally filled in her registration package though today as I was procrastinating over that!
Abigail did some work in her 'Language Power' book.
She wrote a story about a character named Emma who wanted a horse.
We went swimming for two hours on Tuesday and to the indoor playground while Sam was at Pre-K.
We went to the Royal Alberta Museum on Wednesday.
Abigail wrote thank you letters t her Grandparents and received a reply from Grandma Thorpe.
Lloyd came back from England and brought back food and English money for Abigail to try/ look at.
Anyway, today we started our new routine. Abigail finished some worksheets left over from her classwork in school. I figured she may as well finish them. They were to do with long vowel sounds. Writing sentences using long 'o' words and then thinking of 4 words for each long vowel. She did very well.
She then started her daily journal and had to write five sentences about her week. She had to use full stops and capital letters and use her word wall folder to check her spellings.
She did really well! She also supervised Sams 'schoolwork' which was cutting from his new book 'I can cut' - a HUGE book of pages of dotted lines just for cutting - he LOVES to cut :) so she was telling him what to do! She kept an eye on him while I got my chores done and they finished there school work at the table. Then I checked what they were doing in between my jobs.
After their 'work' they did a craft at the table before playing, having lunch and watching a movie.
Tomorrow we have running on the track and swimming again if the roads are ok - it's been snowing all day today so I guess we will wait and see! Abigail also has dance class tomorrow night. Wednesday we have friends coming over for the afternoon and if the weather is good enough we plan to go sledding with them :) Thursday we have swimming again! Friday we may head to the library!! And each morning will be Language power, written work and I need to find her math program so she can work on that! Maybe dig out MathUSee again! See if she likes that!
I finally filled in her registration package though today as I was procrastinating over that!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
No more school.
Abigail left school last Friday and will not be returning after Christmas. She brought home all her supplies and we will go through it all next week some time and see if any of it will be of use to us.
Of course the last week of school was all parties, concerts and gift giving, so she is a little sad to leave now, but our first week of homeschooling will hopefully be focused on swimming and other fun activities, so all should go well if the weather and health goes to plan!
Perhaps we can fit in a trip to Kidz Quarterz too! We also have Sams birthday that week too! We could look at the Ukrainian Christmas festivities that week too!
For now though we are focusing on our own Christmas celebrations.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Of course the last week of school was all parties, concerts and gift giving, so she is a little sad to leave now, but our first week of homeschooling will hopefully be focused on swimming and other fun activities, so all should go well if the weather and health goes to plan!
Perhaps we can fit in a trip to Kidz Quarterz too! We also have Sams birthday that week too! We could look at the Ukrainian Christmas festivities that week too!
For now though we are focusing on our own Christmas celebrations.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Mini Marshmallow structures!!!!
Abigail and Sam had fun building with mini marshmallows and cocktail sticks! I built a pyramid and a spider too :) It's a yummy craft :)
Sew much fun...
Abigail had today off of school.....a trial run of homeschooling I guess you could say ;) We spent much of the day 'crafting'. Abigail did some cross-stitching and then used some felt and created a gingerbread house design. She has stitched the shape of a house and is stitching on buttons and other embellishments onto the house to decorate the gingerbread house. Here is the house with just the square of the house even before the roof shape has been stitched - I will take more pictures as it progresses. As I type though it has already progressed much further and I am really impressed because she has done it all by herself with no help except for the occasional help with threading her needle.
Three days
Abigail only went to school three days this week. On Monday she didn't want to get out of bed and today she got out of bed, but at 7:30am she came in to my room still in her pj's and asked if she could stay home. She is just NOT happy at school.
Last week she went to school two days.
I have noticed a few things though - the less she goes to school, the MORE she loves to read and go back to her work books as 'fun'.......she sees them as quiz books - you know, the way we all see Sudoku and word search books as adults. When she started school she lost all interest in them and she stopped reading for fun - it was a chore and something she HAD to do as homework and for a set time - she had to get the clock and would time herself for the 15 minutes and then stop!!!!
But before school, she would just read and read!!! She loved to read! On library day we would get massive piles of books from the library and bring them home and sit and read all day - read them in the car on the way home....but once in school she would maybe choose one or two :(
It's nice to see her already becoming more like her old self.
We've signed Sam up for Pre-K again after Christmas, and on those afternoons, Abigail and I will go ice skating and swimming together and maybe walking/ running on the indoor track. Abby will have dance class still on Tuesday nights. She wants to go back to drama if we can get her in (maybe not until September) and we can start going to the homeschool group at the library on Fridays.
I'd like to do some voluntary work somewhere somehow.....I'm not sure how we can do that or where with Sam but hopefully we can....
Last week she went to school two days.
I have noticed a few things though - the less she goes to school, the MORE she loves to read and go back to her work books as 'fun'.......she sees them as quiz books - you know, the way we all see Sudoku and word search books as adults. When she started school she lost all interest in them and she stopped reading for fun - it was a chore and something she HAD to do as homework and for a set time - she had to get the clock and would time herself for the 15 minutes and then stop!!!!
But before school, she would just read and read!!! She loved to read! On library day we would get massive piles of books from the library and bring them home and sit and read all day - read them in the car on the way home....but once in school she would maybe choose one or two :(
It's nice to see her already becoming more like her old self.
We've signed Sam up for Pre-K again after Christmas, and on those afternoons, Abigail and I will go ice skating and swimming together and maybe walking/ running on the indoor track. Abby will have dance class still on Tuesday nights. She wants to go back to drama if we can get her in (maybe not until September) and we can start going to the homeschool group at the library on Fridays.
I'd like to do some voluntary work somewhere somehow.....I'm not sure how we can do that or where with Sam but hopefully we can....
Friday, November 28, 2008
A return to homeschooling?
Well, after 3 months in school, it looks as though Abigail may be returning to homeschooling after all. We've had a couple of meetings with her teacher and with the counselor and we've talked to Abigail about whether she would be happier in a different class after Christmas, whether she would be bored at home or miss her friends, but she is fairly insistent that she WANTS to stay at home and go back to her drama classes, maybe ice skating...the homeschool group at the library...back to her friends from homeschooling and her laid back lifestyle.
Abigail is very bright, doing great in math and science and her reading is well ahead and all that jazz....but her OCD's from her tourettes are holding her back. She can't get her writing finished as fast as the other children, she's easily distracted, she's almost 2 years younger than some in her class....she tends to leave things at school so half the time she doesn't bring her homework home or she won't write down what it is or she won't remember things so doesn't get assignments done....
So what to do - put her in grade one? Is that the answer? So we had her tested by the school counselor and she said no she's in the right grade for her work.....Abigail says she would prefer to homeschool than go into grade one. This surprised me. Although I do wonder how she would have faired in grade one.
She has been home for most of the last week....she had a cold and cough but really just needed some tlc. She went back yesterday but came home and STILL did not like school....came home and asked AGAIN to homeschool. But we have said that she can not keep coming in and out of school that she has to stay out if she comes out - at least for a few years. We suggested she try until Christmas and decide but she said she just wants to leave now.
I have always said I would NEVER force a child of mine to go to school unhappily because I can't think of anything worse than being force to go like that. And as much as I am enjoying my quiet days at home during the week, Abigail has to come first. At least while Sam is in pre-K we can go swimming and do things together which will be nice to do with her - maybe Kidz Quarterz etc. And I had already planned out a grade 2 curriculum for her so I guess we will deschool until Christmas and then start grade 2 after Christmas.
So yes, it looks as though we are starting homeschooling again!
Abigail is very bright, doing great in math and science and her reading is well ahead and all that jazz....but her OCD's from her tourettes are holding her back. She can't get her writing finished as fast as the other children, she's easily distracted, she's almost 2 years younger than some in her class....she tends to leave things at school so half the time she doesn't bring her homework home or she won't write down what it is or she won't remember things so doesn't get assignments done....
So what to do - put her in grade one? Is that the answer? So we had her tested by the school counselor and she said no she's in the right grade for her work.....Abigail says she would prefer to homeschool than go into grade one. This surprised me. Although I do wonder how she would have faired in grade one.
She has been home for most of the last week....she had a cold and cough but really just needed some tlc. She went back yesterday but came home and STILL did not like school....came home and asked AGAIN to homeschool. But we have said that she can not keep coming in and out of school that she has to stay out if she comes out - at least for a few years. We suggested she try until Christmas and decide but she said she just wants to leave now.
I have always said I would NEVER force a child of mine to go to school unhappily because I can't think of anything worse than being force to go like that. And as much as I am enjoying my quiet days at home during the week, Abigail has to come first. At least while Sam is in pre-K we can go swimming and do things together which will be nice to do with her - maybe Kidz Quarterz etc. And I had already planned out a grade 2 curriculum for her so I guess we will deschool until Christmas and then start grade 2 after Christmas.
So yes, it looks as though we are starting homeschooling again!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Busy scrapbooking
This is A's scrapbooking page she worked on this evening.....it's bee a rainy day today and she has also been modeling with clay, making window stickers, playing 'Brain Age' and 'Jenga' on my DS and writing stories in her exercise book.
Yesterday she came with me and had her hair cut and we did some shopping in Staples and Dollarama - she bought herself a mini fish tank that comes with plastic fish that really grow - she has to give them warm water daily and they grow over three days - and they really do!!! Kind of neat to watch ;)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Fingerprinting!!
It was raining this morning so we took the opportunity to do something indoors!
I had a fingerprinting kit so we used it to take A and S's fingerprints just like criminals!!!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Landscape artist!
A. spent time in the Rockies recently watercolour painting on canvas. She painted lake scenes, mountains, as well as pictures of bees, dragonflies and butterflies.
Sam also painted while we we relaxed by the lakes :)
First fish!
A. with her first 'catch' in Spray Lakes Provincial Park. She had fun learning to fish with Daddy last week :)
Friday, July 11, 2008
The Library...
This week we finally got around to picking up 'A's Grade 1 library bag. Anyone who has just finished grade one can claim a prize bag from the library for free. They have been available since some time in June but we hadn't had a chance to go in and spend the time to go through one.
So this week we had the time and we took her in on Monday to get her bag. Inside the bag was a coupon for $2 off her very own library card, a bookmark, a booklet full of games, colouring pages and a a quiz that sent her on a hunt around the library for points. She had to go on this treasure hut and work out the points and then go back to the information desk when she had the answer. It only took her a few minutes and when she went back she won a stamp and a chocolate! Then she was also given a big poster of a dragon and the dragon has 24 scales to colour in - she gets to colour one in for every book she reads during the holidays - and when he is all coloured in she can take him back to the library and she gets one big scale to write her name on and put on the wall and he name ges into the draw to win the prize of having the librarian come to her class (or homeschool group) to read stories etc etc.
'A' LOVED her goodie bag and came straight home and read three books! She has since read lots of books to me and to herself and lying on my bed and her bed and on the sofa and on the porch and in the car....
This morning she was reading one of the Animal Ark books that Susie used to love.
While at the library on Monday the children also signed up for the annual Summer Reading Game - this year it has a space theme. Sam is taking part too and they each got a pencil and a tattoo.
The children all decided it was time for each of them to have their own library cards too so we did that too (no idea why as they only ever go to the library with me) but now they all have their own cards....now instead of keeping track of just my one card I have 4 cards to keep track of!!!
We went to the library again today and I got out a couple of books on magnets so 'A' could get a head start on reading about that and she can colour in a scale on her dragon at the same time! They got to roll the dice on the reading game too AND I ran into a homeschooling friend too - Jennifer!!! Not Jennifer from drama but Jennifer from 'The Trees' who I haven't seen for a couple of years and it was sooooo nice to see her! Wow have her children grown and we stood and chatted for a while and it was nice to catch up - hopefully we will run into each other in the Fall!
I thought I'd ask if they had any spaces left in any of their classes in August but to be honest I expected them to say no because they started taking bookings in June. I was shocked when I managed to get places in ALL but one of the classes I wanted!!! So 'A' and 'Su' have plenty of workshops to take part in before September arrives! Some of them sound so much fun!
I am a total bookworm - I LOVE to read, so I must admit that I LOVE that my children love the library. Going to the library is one of my favourite childhood memories - I remember it so clearly! And now I love to see how excited my own children get about our trips to the library! I love how quiet our house is after a trip the library because the children disappear to different parts of the house with their piles of books to curl up and read.
I love that our library is in the mall right now - its so convenient - I wonder how things will change when it moves across the road to the 'centre in the park'. I wonder if things will improve or if it will take time for us to get used to the change. I wonder what the childrens area will be like. I wonder how 'family friendly' it will really be!
Libraries are such wonderful places - I hope they are a regular part of YOUR family's life too!!!
So this week we had the time and we took her in on Monday to get her bag. Inside the bag was a coupon for $2 off her very own library card, a bookmark, a booklet full of games, colouring pages and a a quiz that sent her on a hunt around the library for points. She had to go on this treasure hut and work out the points and then go back to the information desk when she had the answer. It only took her a few minutes and when she went back she won a stamp and a chocolate! Then she was also given a big poster of a dragon and the dragon has 24 scales to colour in - she gets to colour one in for every book she reads during the holidays - and when he is all coloured in she can take him back to the library and she gets one big scale to write her name on and put on the wall and he name ges into the draw to win the prize of having the librarian come to her class (or homeschool group) to read stories etc etc.
'A' LOVED her goodie bag and came straight home and read three books! She has since read lots of books to me and to herself and lying on my bed and her bed and on the sofa and on the porch and in the car....
This morning she was reading one of the Animal Ark books that Susie used to love.
While at the library on Monday the children also signed up for the annual Summer Reading Game - this year it has a space theme. Sam is taking part too and they each got a pencil and a tattoo.
The children all decided it was time for each of them to have their own library cards too so we did that too (no idea why as they only ever go to the library with me) but now they all have their own cards....now instead of keeping track of just my one card I have 4 cards to keep track of!!!
We went to the library again today and I got out a couple of books on magnets so 'A' could get a head start on reading about that and she can colour in a scale on her dragon at the same time! They got to roll the dice on the reading game too AND I ran into a homeschooling friend too - Jennifer!!! Not Jennifer from drama but Jennifer from 'The Trees' who I haven't seen for a couple of years and it was sooooo nice to see her! Wow have her children grown and we stood and chatted for a while and it was nice to catch up - hopefully we will run into each other in the Fall!
I thought I'd ask if they had any spaces left in any of their classes in August but to be honest I expected them to say no because they started taking bookings in June. I was shocked when I managed to get places in ALL but one of the classes I wanted!!! So 'A' and 'Su' have plenty of workshops to take part in before September arrives! Some of them sound so much fun!
I am a total bookworm - I LOVE to read, so I must admit that I LOVE that my children love the library. Going to the library is one of my favourite childhood memories - I remember it so clearly! And now I love to see how excited my own children get about our trips to the library! I love how quiet our house is after a trip the library because the children disappear to different parts of the house with their piles of books to curl up and read.
I love that our library is in the mall right now - its so convenient - I wonder how things will change when it moves across the road to the 'centre in the park'. I wonder if things will improve or if it will take time for us to get used to the change. I wonder what the childrens area will be like. I wonder how 'family friendly' it will really be!
Libraries are such wonderful places - I hope they are a regular part of YOUR family's life too!!!
Art class in the garden!
Drawing flowers in the garden! We took blankets into the garden and drew flowers and coloured them in! 'A' drew a Phlox and a Foxglove.
Registered!
We finally registered this week and are now officially homeschooling for the upcoming school year. I've had a good look at what A would be doing in school over the next year if she was in school for grade 2 and this is basically it:
Math:
recognize and apply whole numbers up to 1000, and explore
fractions (halves, thirds and quarters)
• apply a variety of addition and subtraction strategies on whole
numbers to 100, and use these operations in solving problems
• use an appropriate calculation strategy or technology to solve
problems
Patterns and Relations
• identify, create, describe and translate numerical and non-
numerical patterns arising from daily experiences in the school
and on the playground
Shape and Space
• estimate, measure and compare, using standard units for
length and primarily nonstandard units for other measures
• name, describe and construct a variety of 3-D objects and 2-D
shapes
• apply positional language, orally and in writing, to
communicate motion
Statistics and Probability
• collect, display and describe data, independently, based on
first-hand information
• use simple experiments, designed by others, to illustrate
chance
Science:
Exploring Liquids
• observe that liquid water can be changed to ice or to steam,
and back again, if heated and cooled, and that wet materials
dry out when left open to the air
• learn that water is our most important liquid, that we use
water in many ways, and that water is essential to life
• describe some properties of water and other liquids, and
recognize the importance of water to living and nonliving
things
Buoyancy and Boats
• learn about balance and stability and about different methods
that can be used in propelling a watercraft
• explore the concept of density
• construct objects that will float on and move through water,
and evaluate various designs for watercraft
Magnetism
• learn to distinguish materials that are affected by magnets
from those that are not
• learn how magnets can be used in sorting objects, moving
things and holding things together
• describe the interaction of magnets with other magnets and
with common materials
Hot and Cold Temperature
• observe that temperatures can go up and down, including the
temperature of their surroundings and the temperatures of
particular objects within it
• learn about methods that are used to control temperature in
buildings
• learn how insulation is used to keep things hot or cold
Small Crawling and Flying Animals
• learn about where small animals live, what they eat, and what
they are eaten by
• learn features of the animals that suit them to their particular
environment
• describe the general structure and life habits of small crawling
and flying animals; for example, insects, spiders, worms, slugs
They also have a social studies project to do which I plan to change to something more relevant to us, and also art which they have no specific projects to do. Drama again no specific projects. Health studies the same - and physical education the same. these are all things that can be covered by our extra curricular activities.
I didn't add Language arts to the above list because 'A' has already covered everything that is listed in the LA topic for grade 2 and so our year will be spent continuing to enjoy LA...reading, writing stories and letters, poems and just enjoying the computer and writing for what it is - rather than making her DO anything...she can just enjoy her writing and reading.....
So if THAT is grade 2, it makes you wonder what on EARTH kids go to school for a WHOLE YEAR for lol!
Math:
recognize and apply whole numbers up to 1000, and explore
fractions (halves, thirds and quarters)
• apply a variety of addition and subtraction strategies on whole
numbers to 100, and use these operations in solving problems
• use an appropriate calculation strategy or technology to solve
problems
Patterns and Relations
• identify, create, describe and translate numerical and non-
numerical patterns arising from daily experiences in the school
and on the playground
Shape and Space
• estimate, measure and compare, using standard units for
length and primarily nonstandard units for other measures
• name, describe and construct a variety of 3-D objects and 2-D
shapes
• apply positional language, orally and in writing, to
communicate motion
Statistics and Probability
• collect, display and describe data, independently, based on
first-hand information
• use simple experiments, designed by others, to illustrate
chance
Science:
Exploring Liquids
• observe that liquid water can be changed to ice or to steam,
and back again, if heated and cooled, and that wet materials
dry out when left open to the air
• learn that water is our most important liquid, that we use
water in many ways, and that water is essential to life
• describe some properties of water and other liquids, and
recognize the importance of water to living and nonliving
things
Buoyancy and Boats
• learn about balance and stability and about different methods
that can be used in propelling a watercraft
• explore the concept of density
• construct objects that will float on and move through water,
and evaluate various designs for watercraft
Magnetism
• learn to distinguish materials that are affected by magnets
from those that are not
• learn how magnets can be used in sorting objects, moving
things and holding things together
• describe the interaction of magnets with other magnets and
with common materials
Hot and Cold Temperature
• observe that temperatures can go up and down, including the
temperature of their surroundings and the temperatures of
particular objects within it
• learn about methods that are used to control temperature in
buildings
• learn how insulation is used to keep things hot or cold
Small Crawling and Flying Animals
• learn about where small animals live, what they eat, and what
they are eaten by
• learn features of the animals that suit them to their particular
environment
• describe the general structure and life habits of small crawling
and flying animals; for example, insects, spiders, worms, slugs
They also have a social studies project to do which I plan to change to something more relevant to us, and also art which they have no specific projects to do. Drama again no specific projects. Health studies the same - and physical education the same. these are all things that can be covered by our extra curricular activities.
I didn't add Language arts to the above list because 'A' has already covered everything that is listed in the LA topic for grade 2 and so our year will be spent continuing to enjoy LA...reading, writing stories and letters, poems and just enjoying the computer and writing for what it is - rather than making her DO anything...she can just enjoy her writing and reading.....
So if THAT is grade 2, it makes you wonder what on EARTH kids go to school for a WHOLE YEAR for lol!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Tadpoles in the kitchen!
The tadpoles in our pond are about 6 weeks late this year - that must be because of the cold snap we had in early May ad maybe because of the long winter and late Spring we had. We normally have tadpoles in mid to late May but we checked and checked and then gave up checking for them. We figured it was just a bad year for them. Then last weekend we saw bubbles rising in the pond - we went to check and were shocked to find tiny tadpoles! Just before Canada Day!!! A few are big with legs just sprouting but most are tiny baby tadpoles. So at last we are able to finish our life-cycles project.
This week we were also able to finish the bee life-cycles project with the baby bees emerging too from their life cycle completion.
So we have done the butterflies, the seeds and flowers, the bees, and now the tadpoles. Last year we did the meal worms too. 'A' was given grass seeds to grow as well, on Canada Day as part of the Good Growing Edmonton Campaign.
Archeologists!
Yesterday the children went digging for Mummies and old bones! They had to be very careful with their tools and brushes so as not to break the ancient bones and fossils!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Bee swarm!
We had a swarm of honey bees land in a shrub in our flower garden right outside of our house - it was on a day when we had some friends over for a playdate and a picnic. 'A ' got to watch up close as I picked up the swarm and put it in a box ready to put it into a hive.
Two weeks later this colony is now thriving in the new hive and has plenty of new brood - so a wonderful laying Queen :)
'A' loves to help me with the bees and often joins me when I go down to check on the hives and feed them. I have three hives now. You can see a video of the swarm at http://bee-tales.blogspot.com/
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